Katie's Year With Her Enemies
by Hey-Unicorn-Eat-Tacos-With-Me
Summary: Lame title, I know. Katie goes home to see her father and persue a normal mortal's lifestyle during the school [yeah, because that's totally possible for a demigod] But guess who she has to spend it with? Connor and Travis, that's who! Rated T for my own paranoia. Read and Review, please!
1. Katie- Beginning

**A/N: Hi. First Tratie story. My fingers are frozen. It's really cold inside my house, and I just had icecream. Probably not the best idea. Please excuse my typos, my fingers are really stiff.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own this series or characters, Rick Riordan does. **

I woke up to a series of beeps coming from my alarm clock in the Demeter Cabin. I checked the clock. 10:30.

I jumped out of bed. It was the last day of camp! I had to go before 12:00 or else I would be eaten by the demonic chicken ladies (harpies).

I threw on a plain blue shirt and a pair of jeans. I stuffed the last of my clothes from my drawer into my duffle bag.

I double-checked to make sure I didn't leave anything behind. I pulled my brown hair into a messy ponytail.

I couldn't wait to see my dad. I saw him during the times I wasn't at camp, but still, I haven't seen him all summer. It's funny: When I'm away from my dad, I miss him. When I'm away from camp, I miss Camp.

"Katie! You've got to go!" My sister Maggie, must've already been ready to go. Our families live kind of close, so Argus drives us together.

"Whatever, Maggie. Let's go," I grumbled. I paused at the doorway, because Maggie wasn't moving.

"Katie... I'm not going home this year. My dad and I... we had a fight. It's his stupid girlfriend, again. She doesn't know I'm a demigod, but... She still thinks I'm a freak. I'm not going."

I didn't argue. I knew what it was like to have you're father dating or married to a wicked witch. I'm not exaggerating. I don't think Isabel, who is my dad's girlfriend, is quite human.

I hugged her. "Okay. I'll see you later," I murmured.

"Later."

I left the cabin.

I arrived at Half-Blood Hill just before Argus took off.

He opened a door for me. I tossed my duffel into the truck and hopped into the back seat.

I was strapping my seatbelt on when I heard a voice say, "Hello, to you, too, Katie-Kat!"

Somehow, I had failed to notice Travis and Connor Stoll in seats next to me.I jumped so high, my head very nearly hit the ceiling.

"Don't call me that!"

"Whatever you say, Kit-Kat."

"What are you doing here? You guys are year-rounders," I protested.

"We _were. _Now we're going to our mom's place in the Queens. That's where you live, isn't it, Katie-Kat?" Travis had that smirk plastered on his face.

"Yes. It is," I admitted through clenched teeth. "My life is over."

"Excellent, that means you can show us around. What school will I be enrolled in?"

"One, over my dead body. Two, that's up to your mother."

"C'mon, Katie," Travis said, "We need to be shown around. And in order for you to show us around, we need to go to your school. Please?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Travis, you're grade nine, right? Connor you're seventh?"

Travis nodded, while Connor groaned. "I'm eigth grade! And I _don't _want to go to middle school!"

I thought a bit. "Travis, you go to the Green Hills High, Connor, you go to the middle school there.I don't know the name of it though."

"So, Katie-Kat, you going back to your dad's place?" Travis asked as he pulled open a (rather large) bag of potato chips.

"Yeah, I'm gonna stay with him until the summer." I looked at the chips. I may be a daughter of Demeter, but I have a fiery passion for potato chips. "Can I have some chips?"

Connor shook his head, but Travis nodded and handed me the bag.

"Thanks!"

The van kept driving. The trip was always a long one. I started dozing off. I rested my head on the door, and slipped into a drowsy state of mind that wasn't exactly sleep, but I wasn't fully conscious.

Travis waved his hand in front of my face to see if I was awake. I didn't react, so he thought I was already asleep.

"Hey, bro. Is the only reason you're going to Queens to stay with Mom is because of Katie?" I heard Connor ask.

"No, dude, I think... I think Mom may actually be excited to see us. She sent those letters asking us to come home."

I felt like a voyeur. I wasn't supposed to be hearing this.

"Well, yeah, but, still... " Connor paused. He whispered to his brother, "You like Katie!" I heard Travis punch his bother's shoulder.

"Don't say it aloud! Not when she's here with us! And it's not even a huge, gigantic crush! Dudes don't have crushes! They have... um, er, _interests. _Okay? Okay," Travis scolded his brother in an angry whisper.

I drifted into a deeper state of sleep.

What seemed like only a couple minutes later I felt the van pull up to the curb. Travis shook my shoulder.

"Katie? It's time to go. C'mon."

I was having the strange dream about an angry harpie coming at me with a frying pan, so my hand instinctively flew into a fist into the face of my attacker.

"Aah! Katie!" Travis held his nose.

"Oh my gods! I didn't mean to -Oh, it's you. Then that's okay, then."

"I think you broke my nose!"

"Sorry, Travis," I apologized as I grabbed my duffel bag.

"Where are you two going? I'm going a few blocks away. Can you guys find you're way to your mom's place?"

Travis rubbed the base of his nose. "Um, well, our mom isn't exactly _aware _ that we are here."

I blinked. "What?"

Connor and Travis looked at each other as Argus pulled the van away from the curb. "We need to call her. Can we... Can we come to your house? To borrow your phone?"

"Fine. My house it is."

"Cool."

**A/N: Alright, I know. Sucky first chapter. The next will be better, I promise!**


	2. Katie- Getting There

**A/N: Next chapter in my story! I'm so happy! Read and review!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the rights for the PJO series.**

We trudged down the road. Connor and Travis kept griping about the long walk. Seriously, I thought, it's only a couple blocks. Don't be such babies.

"Kaaatiiieee! How much longer? I'm ttiiireeedddd!" Travis whined.

I turned around and walked backwards. "Where did all your hero training go?"

They didn't answer. They just kept grumbling about how tired they were. I am almost positive Connor would've face-planted on the side walk if we hadn't already arrived at my house.

My house is just a plain two-story faded blue building on the corner. I groaned when I saw her blue Prius in the driveway instead of my dad's black truck. That meant I would see Isabel's face first thing instead of my dad's. I walked very slowly, giving a chance for the Stolls to catch up.

"Why so slow Katie? What's wrong?" Travis asked.

"Isabel, my dad's wife, is here," I replied. I added in a whisper, "I don't like her very much."

I knocked on the door.

Isabel opened it and frowned. "Katie. You're home. Nice to..."She stopped short when she saw Travis and Connor behind me.

"Oh, this is Travis and Connor. They're friends from camp. They live in the area, but they need to phone their mom. May they borrow the home phone for a second?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Sure. Whatever. It's on the table by the couch," she said to the Stolls, gesturing for them to come in. "Katie? May I speak with you for a moment please? Upstairs?"

Since when was she ever polite to me (especially because my father wasn't here)?

I nodded and lugged my duffel bag up the stairs with Isabel in front of me.

"Yeah?" I asked, baffled as to why she wanted to talk to me.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Since when do you bring home boys?"

"They're just friends. They don't have cell phones and they needed to let their mom know that they got home okay. I'm just doing them a favor. Sheesh!" I felt my cheeks get warm.

"Ok, sure," she said sarcastically. "You're too young to be dating!"

I blinked. Anger welled up inside of me. Was she seriously saying this? I tried to keep my voice level, "I'm in the ninth grade! I'm of age! And I'm not dating either one of them! And who are you to be telling me this?! You're not my mother."

"Whatever, Katie. But just wait until I tell your father you brought home two boys," she warned. She sounded like such a kid.

"I'm going back down to say good-bye," I proclaimed to my step-mother.

On my way backdown the staircase, I heard Travis arguing with his mom on the phone.

"Mom! I need to come tonight! I have nowhere else to go." Travis said into the phone. I could hear someone on the other end yelling into his ear.

"Well fine! I'll go to the forest and live among the woodland creatures like Robin Hood!" I could hear Travis was getting really angry. More yelling from the phone.

"Fine! Robin Hood it is!" He hung up the phone angrily. Connor sulked behind him silently.

"Travis? Everything alright?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah. My mom... she has her stupid boyfriend over. I can't come home till tomorrow."

"Oh, well..." I started, but just then I saw my dad's truck pull into the drive way. "My dad's home!" I shouted, rushing out the door.

He got out of the car, and shut the door.

I ran over to him. "Dad!"

He took off his baseball cap, and smiled. He hugged me.

"Katie! You're home! How was camp?"

"It was great! Um... I have some... friends here," I warned.

"Oh? Who?"

"Travis and Connor, they live in the area and needed to borrow the phone to call their mom."

"Oh, okay." He grinned, his eyes forming little laugh lines around his eyes. He whispered in my ear, "no boyfriends?" He was still smiling.

I rolled my eyes, "no! Ugh, just come on." Just then Travis and Connor came out with their luggage.

"Hey," I said. "Did you find a place to stay?"

"Yeah," Connor started, "we have a friend we haven't seen in a while and we phoned him and he said he'd be fine if we spent the night with him. He lives a whole two blocks away," he finished meekly.

"See you later, Katie," Travis said.

"See you later," I echoed as the Stolls left.

My dad looked at me funny.

"What, Dad?"

He shook his head. "You don't like those boys, do you?"

I was apalled. "Eww, no. That thought is thoroughly disgusting."

My father just smiled at me with a twinkle in his eye. "Whatever you say, Katie. I worked on your garden in the backyard. I convinced Isabel to let me expand it. This year, you'll be able to grow more stuff."

"Thankyou!" I have been _begging _Isabel to let me increase the area on my tiny plot of land in the backyard. This year, I can finally grow the tulips I've been wanting! I'm so excited! "Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!" I hugged my dad.

"Your welcome, Katie. Why don't you go upstairs and unpack," he suggested.

"Okay," I agreed merrily as I jogged up the steps.

I grabbed my duffel bag which was still in the middle of the hallway, and opened the door to my room.

My room is pretty simple. Earth tones, of course. My dad had helped me paint my walls with flowers.

Everything was just as I left it. My books in the same random order, my bed still made messily.

I looked out my window. I can see down the street through this window. I caught a glimpse of the Stolls strolling down the street at a pace that only sloths can achieve. Connor told something to Travis, and Connor turned his head toward my house. Travis looked at him, and shoved him into the street. Connor was rolling with laughter on the pavement.

I rolled my eyes. Though I can admit I was really curious what Connor had told his brother. I guess I'll just have to ask him later on. I still have a week until school starts, so I have time to settle in.

I begin unpacking my clothes. I shove them messily into my dresser, in no particular organization. I had packed a Celestial Bronze knife in the bag for protection. I carefully placed it in the side pocket with the hidden zipper. I tuck it carefully under the bedside table.

I have a few pictures with me. One with a few of my step sisters and me by the lake on the Fourth of July. One at the camp fire on the first day of camp. I tape those to my wall.

I have some (smashed) ambrosia with me for emergencies. I set that on my bedside table and stuff my now empty duffel underneath me bed.

I hear Isabel coming up the steps to my room.

"Dinner's done. Your father told me to take you a plate," she enters the room, not waiting for me to open the door for her.

She sets the plate down on the bed, and leaves. My dad ordered a pizza for dinner. Yum…


	3. Katie- First Day of School

**A/N: Next chapter. OMG I am listening to One Direction. **

**DISCLAIMER: Oh disclaimer, you're like a tragic love triangle. YOU'RE TEARING ME APART! I DISCLAIM EVERYTHING.**

Urg... today's school. Yippee. My alarm clock rings loudly and I reach out and knock it to the ground. It continues to annoy the Underworld out of me.

"Shut up, alarm clock!" I scream. I get up and pick up the clock, nearly hurling it across the room, but then I realize the snooze button is on the side. I press it, and the screaming clock finally shuts up.

I went yesterday to an orientation at the school, and everyone who came recieved their schedule and locker while the people who didn't come would get theirs tomorrow. Travis had phoned me yesterday to let me know he would be going to my high school, too.

I wouldn't describe the way I feel about going to high school as excited, but more... anxious. Yes, anxious is the word.

I would have to take the bus to school since Dad and Isabel are going to work. But Travis arranged to go with me, while Connor would be stuck on a bus for Junior High. He seemed thoroughly disgusted to be going to a middle school. Not that I can blame him, middle school was terrible. I lied to him and told him it was the best years of my life, not that my fib was believable.

I had prepared an outfit for today. I'm not excited, nope. It's a dark green plain shirt and a pair of nice jeans. It's rather plain, but it looks nice. Pfft! I'm not excited at all.

I make my bed hastily and jog down to the kitchen with my backpack.

I grab a bagel and some cream cheese. I love cream cheese. After I finish eating, I grab my key from the mantel and head out the door.

The bus stop is only a block away. I can imagine Connor and Travis groaning as they lug their 'uber-heavy' (as Travis put it) backpacks towards their destination that seemed a mile away. I'm serious, these two went to hero training camp, fought vicious monsters, and pulled pranks that would make any sane person run and scream. Luckily, demigods aren't exactly completely sane, so the effect their pranks have on us is slightly less concentrated if you know what I mean.

I arrive at the bus stop and am immediately greeted by, by... _him! _No, not Travis or Connor. _He _was worse. He was always a little perverted to me. And annoying. SUPER annoying. He was always trying to get me to go out with him. He's attractive, don't get me wrong. But he tried too hard. He was always pretending _I _was the one who was so lucky to get the chance to go on a date with him. He didn't give up when I turned him down. He brushed off my refusals.

So, the guy's name is Adam. Code-name: the Cockalorum.

"Hey, there, Katie dear. Lovely to see you again," Cockalorum says, his lips twisted into a grin. The nitwit.

"Hello, Cock -Adam. Please don't call me 'dear' ever again," I say, even though I've reminded him at least fifty times.

He simply smirks in reply and walks away, to sit on a bench.

When the bus _finally _arrives, I step into it quickly before Cockalorum offers his hand in a sickly-sweet way that makes me want punch him in the nose, the way he held out his hand to me all last year in the mornings. I don't take it and trudge past him onto the bus.

I see most of the seat were taken except for the few in the back that smell weird and the one that always has gum on it.

Travis stands up and waves to me, gesturing for me to sit next to him. I sit next to him.

I shove my backpack underneath the seat angrily, thinking about Adam. When I finally manage to get my bag to stay out under the seat, I sit up, scowl, and blow a strand of hair out of my face, only to have it fall in the same spot again.

"Well," Travis says, "hello, to you too!" He's smiling though.

"Hi Travis."

"Um..." he lowers his voice. "There's a dude staring at you with a strange smirk. Should I be worried about an impending monster attack?"

I roll my eyes. I lower my voice as well, "No. That's just Cockalorum. A-K-A Adam." Travis turns to look at him. "Don't look at him."

"Okay. But he's... _really_ staring at you," Travis looks dismayed. "So... what's _his_ deal?"

"He keeps trying to get me to go out with him. I haven't. I don't want to. These days it gets super annoying," I gripe.

"Oh. So... what's up?"

I shrug. "Nothing much. Did you get your schedule yet?"

He nods. "Yeah. Here," he slips a piece of paper from his pocket into my hand.

I unfold the sheet of paper. I see he has a few of my classes, same lunch times, we have math and history and English together.

I show him mine and he smiles. "Cool," he says.

I nod, and smile too. "Hey," I start, "um, yesterday, I saw you from my window, and Connor said something to you, and then you shoved him in the street. What did he say?"

Travis blushes slightly. "You were watching us?"

I shrug. "Connor was laughing loudly and you guys were walking slow. I was putting stuff in my closet by the window. I saw you guys. I wasn't _intentionally _watching you guys."

"Well, he just made some ridiculous comment about something, is all. No biggie," I can tell he is holding something back, but his expression says very clearly: _Please don't ask._

So I don't.

But I have a feeling that I know.

And it kinda worries me what Connor might've said.

Ths bus rolls to a halt. "We're here," Travis comments.

"Oh, really?" I laugh.

Travis chooses not to register the sarcasm and nods. We grab our backpacks and go, and I can still feel Cockalorum staring at me.

"C'mon, Katie," Travis pleads as I reach into my backpack for a sweater since it is super cold out. Travis rolls his eyes. "Oh, hurry up!"

I put on the sweater and begin trekking up the sidewalk to building B. Travis and I have the same homeroom, English, so he follows me.

He jogs in front of me and walks backwards so he can talk to me while looking at me. "I'm gonna need you to show me around, you know," he says, nearly tripping over a stray skateboard. "Whoa."

I laugh. "Whatever, Stoll."

Now, he really does trip over. Even the bike racks can be deadly to a demigod.

I reach out my hand, trying to stifle a laugh. He takes my hand and scowls. "That never happened, do you hear me?"

I laugh. "Sure, Travis." We're here. First period English with Mr. Barns."

"Joy." He inhales. "I haven't been to school in, like, four years. Help me," he pleads.

"Of course."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OO

Mr. Barns seems like an okay teacher, not super strict, but not totally lose either. He seems to tolerate Travis's jokes as long as they are appropriate, and even seems to put an educational twist on them. I think Travis likes him too.

The teacher announced that we would be studying different types of literature to different cultures and religions.

"_The Ramayana_, the _Oddysey_, the _Tale of Genji, _and the _Popol Vuh, _from the cultures of India, Greece, Japan, and South America."

They sound really interesting. I know the Athena children would be all over the reading curriculum, had they come to this school.

The bell rings, and I pack my stuff away. I make my way down the crowded hallway.

My next period is math. Joy.

's monotone voice drifts through the air, making the atmosphere in room 225 seem dismal and boring.

Travis sits next to me and he keeps drawing diagrams for future pranks. It's really distracting because a lot of the phases in the pranks are very elaborate.

announces that we will be having homework everyday, and everyone in the class groans, except for one kid in the back who wears glasses and plaid jeans.

History is with a perky lady named . She said that she is getting her doctoral degree in education soon, and then we can call her . She's really nice.

We will be learning about medieval to modern times. It's like ten different civilizations all that are very interesting. We start off by saying one thing about ourselves. I say my favorite color is green.

Travis isn't in my next class, which is science with Ms. Rodriguez. I can't imagine a better person to be a scientist. She has frizzy red hair, an objective attitude, and an authoritative voice. She gave us a very long syllabus, to ensure that we follow the rules in the lab. Science was never my favorite class, but she seems like a cool teacher to have.

Lunch time! I find a small unoccupied table at the edge of the lunch area. I isolate myself.

"Hi, Katie-kat!" Travis greets, obviously pleased to find a familiar face, and sits across from me. "It's like an alien world here! It's insane," he unwraps a turkey sandwich. He offers me half. It looks good, and since I don't like the lunch I brought, I graciously accept.

"How's your first day of high school treating you?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Do I have to answer?" He's trying to poke a hole in a juice box, and when he does, it sprays everywhere. Who is this? This is not the smooth Travis Stoll. He has grape juice on his shirt. "Honestly, not so well," he smiles nervously, wiping the table with his only napkin.

I reach into my bag and hand him some pink Disney princess napkins and help him clean up the table, trying, and failing, to stifle my laughs. Travis smiles at me. "It's _so_ funny when you're not the one it spills on."

He gets up, arms out raised, as if asking for a hug. He comes to my side of the table, and I shriek and try to run, but Travis is faster. He embraces me, and I feel the grape juice seeping into my sweater. But I'm not angry. I want revenge. I'll get it. Such as my friend Julia (daughter of Nemesis at camp) says, 'Don't get angry, get revenge.' I think it's her motto.

He let's go. I have grape juice on my sweater! Ugh! I grab the napkins, trying to absorb the juice in my shirt. I'm probably gonna have it all stained when I get home. Luckily, my shirt survived un-grape juiced.

I finish my half of the sandwich. Travis is still laughing hysterically while mopping up the liquid on the table with Cinderella.

I leave him, and head toward my next class, P.E. The P.E. teacher is . He's a tall man, with a shaved head and military attitude. Almost like a stereotypical gym teacher. He told us immediately that this year would be difficult for those of us who choose to be lazy and unfit. He says that out of the two gym teachers that we could've recieved this year, he was best because he went twice as hard on us the other teacher. Everyone groaned when he said this.

My last class was my elective choice, which was Spanish. I thought it would be interesting to learn another language. And I could finally speak to my neighbor, . I do garden work for her on weekends sometimes. She points to the flowers or produce from magazines she wants to grow, or the way she wants her lawn or shrubs to look like. The only thing I can understand and say to her is "hola" and "adios" and "como estas". But that's it, so now I might even to be able to answer her when she asks how I am.

The teacher's name is , and she insists we greet each other in Spanish when we come into class.

"_Buenoas tardes, _class," she says. "I am ," she introduces herself. She asks by a show of hands how many of us has already been to a Spanish class, know Spanish, know other languages, et cetera. She says our class will be slow-learning, in order to ensure full understanding of the concepts and curriculum. She goes on about how the class works, quizzes every week, tests every three weeks, _Jeopardy! _games once a month on what we've learned that time period.

After that, the bell rings and school is dismissed.

Travis and I ride the bus home, we talk about our day. Travis mostly uses the terms "monotone" and "boring" to describe both the teachers and classes alike.

So, today was my first day of highschool. Interesting day.

**A/N: Okay. Was this chapter a little too fluffy at the lunch scene? I have an idea I need your guys's opinions on. Should I have Travis be all like "Katie, I know how I can get Cockalorum to stop staring at you..." wait for it!... "pretend like i'm your boyfriend." So... whaddya think? Majority wins. Yes or no, your answer in the reviews.  
P.S.: This was a re-do of the same chapter because for some reason, all the teacher's names got deleted.**


	4. Travis- The Brilliant Plan

**A/N: So, basically, the winner of the vote from the last chapter was yes. Sorry, anybody who voted or wanted no. Next chapter! Travis and Katie are taking turns narrating every three chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, Rick Riordan does, but I'm getting really tired of doing this disclaimer.**

**Travis P.O.V.**

I look in the mirror. My hair is messy and my clothes are rumpled. I don't know why I'm suddenly worried about my appearance. Okay, I do know. It's for Katie. I really don't want to explain my feelings because I am a guy and guys like me aren't really supposed to show our feelings. That would not be cool.

"Travis! Hurry up! We need to get to school!" Connor calls.

I turn away from the mirror. "Why're you suddenly all eager?"

"I'm not eager," he scoffs. But there's no denying the glint in his eye. I scowl, willing the truth out of him. Children of Hermes can be suprisingly persuasive, you know, even to their own siblings. "Alright, alright! I have some E.P.P to carry out this morning."

E.P.P. Early pranking plans. I straighten, "Who's the victim?"

"Mark Ellings," he says. "He's kind of Goth or emo, so during P.E, I'm going to trade his clothes with something a tad bit brighter than all black." He winks. "I need the early time to make sure I can study the lock on his locker, first."

I nod, proud of the little monster I've created. "Alright, we better go now. Have fun in middle school."

He snorts. "More like confinement. But thanks. Same to you, bro. And, uh... good luck."

"What for?" I ask.

Connor smirks. "Oh, c'mon. You think I don't know why you were staring at the mirror all day? How cute. I know why. And her name begins with Ka- and ends with -tie."

"Oh. Ha-ha funny. Let's go now, alright?"

We head out the door, but not before saying bye to mom who was asleep in her room.

Connor walks the opposite way I do for his bus stop. I wave bye, and almost faceplant. The little weasel tied my shoelaces together. How could I not notice? I must've been distracted this morning. Well, of course I am.

I'm so lost in thought, I don't even notice I've arrived at the bus stop. I don't notice that I'm walking straight past it. I don't notice the bus heading towards the stop. I do notice when Katie grabs my wrist, pulling me back to the bus stop.

"Wrong way, Travis. You are not ditching on the second day of school, Stoll," there's teasing in her voice, despite the coldness of her words.

"What?" I say, fake-appalled. "Me? Never."

She rolls her eyes as we climb up the steps to the bus. "Suuuuurrree," she says, elongating the word to add drama.

We sit in our seat and I let her take the window today.

"So what's up?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Not much. I think I saw a hellhound stalking me yesterday. But, that's whatever."

I nod. "Totally normal, huh? Yeah."

She tenses, "perhaps we shouldn't be talking about this now, _here." _Katie looks at me in dismay. She leans over to whisper in my ear, "he's staring at me. It's non-stop now, he's not even blinking."

An idea pops into my mind. A plan so brilliant, I give no attempt to hide my growning grin. A plan granted to me from the good gods themselves.

I lean over to whisper in her ear, "don't worry about it. I've got a plan. We speak outside, all right?"

Katie looks at me, then nods. "Should I be worried, Stoll?"

I simply shrug. "Maybe," is all I say.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO

When we arrive at school, after a busride of distracted small talk, I lead Katie over to a deserted area of bricks, surrounding a cluster of plants.

"Travis! What is it? Tell me," she pleaded.

I put my hands up in surrender. "Fine! Fine. Do you want to know my plan?" She nods. "Do you _really _want to know my plan?"

"Travis! Quit stalling!"

I take a moment to consider if I am stalling, I mean I kind of am. I guess I'm a little nervous she'll turn down the idea, although it wouldn't be awkward. I suppose-

I'm about to complete my thought when Katie punches my shoulder.

"Okay! My idea is, if Adam sees that you have a boyfriend, he won't bug you anymore, right? I don't think he will. So what I propose is that we should pretend to be a couple, and I believe that will, er, _subdue, _Adam's creepiness."

She sat down on the bricks, contemplating the decision. I don't know why I wanted her to say yes so badly.

"I think the plan'll work. Yes."

"'Kay," I say, trying my very best to sound nonchalant. "That means we'll have to pretend we're together. At least in front of him, you know. Dates occasionally."

She nods, looking down, obviously trying to hide the blushing. I know because I was blushing a little bit, too.

She gets up, walks over to me and announces, "school's gonna begin soon. Five minutes. C'mon."

As we walk through the front of the school, we come across Adam, talking to his other sick friends. Katie takes my hand casually. She holds my hand gently, as if afraid that I'll burn her. I hold her hand gently, but squeeze once to let her know I won't hurt her.

As we pass Adam, and he's out of sight, she lets go. "Thankyou."

I just nod. "We have to meet after school to talk. 'Kay?"

"Sure. But first we have to go to English class. 'Cause as I said earlier, you are _not _ditching on the second day of school."

"Oh, come on," I tease. "Have a little faith in me!"

Katie snorts. "Right, I'm so gonna do that. In someone who's a son of then god of theives?" She holds her hand out to me, "hand it over."

I laugh, handing her her wallet, "how'd you figure it out?"

"You're you, Travis. It's not exactly rocket science to learn quickly not to trust you around valuables." She weighs the wallet in her hand. "I'd appreciate having _all _of the contents of _my _wallet, back in _my _possession." I hand her the twenty dollars I managed to snatch before she took her wallet back.

"Thankyou."

(English teacher) began handing each of us paper-back copies of a book called... um... it takes me a moment to decipher the shifting letters. _The Ramayana. _It sounds boring. I tune out the teacher's voice, while I think about camp. I miss camp.

" . Are you paying attention? Summarize the main plot of _The Ramayana _."

"I'm sorry. I dunno. I haven't read it yet," I admit. The class laughs, all except Katie, who looks at me in pity, then glares at the people who laugh at me. Aww. She really does care.

"I just gave you the answer, when you decided to ignore me, . _The Ramayana, _is about a mortal man, who was a god in the Heavens; and so he was a mortal man, with the powers of a god. He was literally _ born _to kill the demon Ravana, who was prophecied to be killed by nothing but man. Rama's wife, was kidnapped..." continues his spiel about the story.

Math is just... boring. We take a test on what we've learned last year, but, of course, it's very difficult. I can't understand a lot of the words, or their meaning. Integers? What the heck. Pythagorean Theorem? I don't think I can even pronounce it correctly. It's something about triangles... What? I have to explain it, too?! Um... something about triangle and squares...

I glance at Katie, across the room, due to the new seating chart. I mean, seriously, a seating chart? We're highschoolers for Olympus' sake! But she looks like she's having just as much trouble as me with the test. I never thought to ask if she had a learning disability. I should ask...

"Alright class," begins, "pass your tests forward."

I panic. I scrible the last few answers, and I notice Katie doing the same. I jot down my name, and pass it to the kid in front of me.

Next I have history. I overhear a few of the students in front of me. They're going on about the teacher, saying how enthususiastic she is about history. And I smile. But then they say she's overenthusiastic about it, my smile melts. I've never felt the need to defend a teacher, heck, I've hated most of the teachers I've had in my life. But this school is different. Nice.

I decide to borrow something from each of them later.

Next class: Science with Mr. Hsu. He tells us to get out our highlighters and highlight key terms and rules in the class syllabus. The class syllabus is five pages long, and as boring as can be. It's like the people who make these rules, make them uninteresting on purpose to irritate the students. I mean, seriously!

My next class was PE with . Man, this guy. I don't even know what to say. Today we began doing actual excercises, to "start early in getting fit", in the words of . Pushups, situps, other ridiculous excercises.

But it passes quickly since half way through, I manage to slip out while no one notices. Later, after class in between class periods, I asked one of the students if the teacher noticed anything unusual.

"No. Nothing. Why?" He asks.

I shrug. "No reason. I'm Travis by the way. Travis Stoll." I hold out my hand for him to shake.

"Nick. Nick Gomez. Nice to meet you." Nick shakes my hand. "I've go to get to detention."

"Dude," I say, "I just got newfound respect for you." We both smile.

It's lunch now, so I look for Katie.

I find her rummaging through her backpack for something at her lunch table.

"What're you looking for?" I ask, and she jumps as if she's been startled.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you coming. I'm looking for my sandwich. Have you seen it?" She asks absently, still searching in her backpack.

"Yes, Katie, in fact I saw a peanut butter and jelly sandwich dancing in the hallway, too. By chance, did you forget it?"

She nods, slowly. "I must have. Odd. I had it this morning..." She frowns. "Stoll," she begins sternly, "did you take it?"

I shake my head.

"Oh. . . I found it!" She holds up a slightly squashed, but still edible, sandwich. "Behold my glorious meal!" She says sarcastically.

"Let us eat with great joy! Let us scream it to the heavens that we will not be starved!" I reply.

"Us?" She asks, with dismay.

"Yes. Us. You owe me from lunch yesterday."

"Oh? I _owe _you? _You _were the one who smothered me in grape juice, Stoll."

"Hey? Aren't we on a first name basis? Hand me half." Surprisingly, she tore the sandwich neatly in half, and placed my half on a napkin and slid it over to me.

"Enjoy," she ordered, so I did.

My last period was shop, which was my elective. I didn't even choose the class, my mom did. She thought it may, "bring out my creativity, and crush my desire to steal." Whatever that means. So I took the class.

It's actually kind of cool. We make the sets for musicals and plays that the performing arts classes do. We started to learn about the materials that we can use to build. Wood, cardboard, paint, and other stuff like that.

The class is over way too soon. I wish this class was longer, the teacher, is nice and she doesn't seem like a teacher, she seems like a friend... an older friend, but a friend. It's weird. I hated teachers those few times I actually went to school.

As I'm preparing to get on the bus after school, I spot Katie speaking with Adam. She looks agitated, and she looks like she's trying to escape the conversation. Adam has a determined look, and then he says something that makes Katie pale.

"Look, boy, are you getting on the bus or not?" The bus driver asks.

"Uh, no," I answer, jogging away.

I know I'm gonna miss the bus. I know Katie might not want my help. But I need to know what's going on.

Katie looks at me, but Adam doesn't see me coming up from behind him. Katie shakes her head very slightly, _no, _she's trying to say.

"Uh, listen, Adam, no. That's it. I've got to go now. Goodbye," she says, her voice frantic but stern, and comes toward me.

Adam leaves as well, heading for a blue car with a few of the older students in it, and then the car peels away from the curb with him in the backseat.

"What was all that about?" I ask. Katie looks angry.

But then her anger melts. She hesitates, then answers, "nothing."

I intend to find out later.

"Well, we missed the bus. We can walk if you want."

Katie shrugs her shoulders, "sure, whatever. Um... okay." She seems really nervous. I don't know why though, it must've been whatever Adam had said to her.

We started walking silently. Every once in a while, Katie would glance behind her.

I stop her about a fourth of the way home. "Katie. Seriously, what happened?"

"Nothing..." Katie answers. Her green eyes are filled with worry, though.

"Something. I know. Your acting as if at any moment someone's gonna run a knife through your back. Tell me what's wrong. _Now."_

"Well... um... Adam said something... threatening... to me." I wait for her to continue. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. So, would it make you feel better if we went to the park? We could see the flowers... and the grass... you could tell me about botany," I say before I can stop myself.

Her face softens, and her eyes glitter. "I'd like that. Sure."

**A/N: Alright. Finished. I think this chapter was a little longer than the last few, so hurrah. Sorry it took so long to update. Review! : )**


	5. Travis- The End of My Brilliant Plan

I walk beside Katie as she leads me toward a green park.

In a small play structure at the west side of the park, kids swing from the monkey bars. Kids run around, laughing and playing.

Green shrubs are scattered around, as well as trees and flower bushes. Benches are littered around the park. People walk around or sit, watching their children or drawing or writing.

"I like it here," Katie mumurs softly. She walks over to the nearest bench and sits, placing her backpack on the ground, and taking out a few books. I sit next to her.

"Your dad won't be mad you're not home?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "He knows sometimes I go with friends. Or get held up by a monster, sometimes. What about you? Connor and your mom?"

"Nahh.. They probably think I'm off pulling a prank."

"Oh."

We sat in a somewhat awkward silence. Then, we saw someone approaching. He looked about my age. He was a bit short, and he had a bit of a wispy beard. He looked like he was worried about something.

He was looking directly at Katie and me.

"Travis Stoll? Katie Gardner? I'm Tommy." He says, and I was wary. "I was told you two hated each other. I didn't expect to find you to together. Eh, well, makes my job easier. I've brought news from Camp Half-Blood."

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Chiron sent you? He's never done this before."

"Yes, well. The news is for experieced demigods in the area, outside of camp. You two are experienced in hero train-" He was cut off.

"Oh? What have we here?" It is Adam. I'm having about ten thoughts that I am forbidden from saying, but I'll tell you this: None of them are complimentary to Cockalorum. Katie and I jump up from the bench.

"You," Katie mutters under her breath.

"Yes, Katie, dear. Me," he says. There's something about him that's a little unnerving. I've noticed it before, but I just though that was because he was constantly stalking Katie.

"Now, what's this about Camp Half-Blood? Katie didn't get a chance to tell me about it earlier," he says coolly.

"That's right. I didn't. And I won't be. Now go, you have no business here," Katie tries to sound strong, but I can hear an ever so slight quiver in her voice. I also hear her mutter a name under her breath even _I _would have to wash my mouth because of. I wonder... Really, what _did _Adam say? He must know about Camp Half-Blood...

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Why, I'm Adam, son of noneofyourbusiness, thank _you_ very much."

Katie draws a Celestial Bronze knife from her sleeve. I look at her.

Who knew someone like Katie came to school armed? I mean, I carry a small sword in my backpack hidden in a scabbard shaped a little like a long, slim book, but still. This is _Katie. _

She holds the knife poised in her hand toward Adam. I stood a little closer to Katie, and reached into my backpack behind me. I open the scabbard, and feel my hand close around the hilt of my sword, I draw it behind my back so that Adam won't see.

Adam, as well, is armed, he has a gold spear. I've never seen a spear like that, it's a different style of weaponry entirely. Gold, too, and it has an etching of words that I can't make out on the side of it. I have no idea what the mortals see. Lacrosse sticks? That could work... Dang, if only camp had taught me how to do that mist-manipulation trick...

Adam lunges toward me. In a split second, I have this thought: What the hades? Why is he fighting me? What the Hades did I do?

Before I can defend myself, Katie thrusts her knife towards Adam. I can tell she's afraid. She can attack monsters, but fighting other (supposed) demigods is way different. I know, well, because I'm thinking the very same thing. The knife connects with his shoulder, leaving a gash. It doesn't look very deep, but Adam cries out in pain and drops his spear.

Through all this, Tommy the person from camp, is just standing there, frozen. I think he may be a satyr. It's the way he holds himself, a little frightened, but a little brave; he walks a little awkwardly, but I can tell he tries to hide it. Now, he looks like he's in shock. He's sweating, but he looks really pale. I can see him trembling, but then stops. His face hardens, his jaw jutts in an angry sort of way.

Before I know it, he's stamping his feet (and if I am correct, they are his hooves) like an angry bull, rearing to fight. Ooh, violent little goat, aren't ya? I think. But he calms down enough not to.

I glare at Adam as he is pouring an amber-colored liquid from a small waterbottle onto his wounded shoulder. I assume nectar, unless he is pouring a random liquid onto his cut. That would be weird. Really weird. The cut slowly closes up leaving a light, red mark.

"Now that's enough. Why are we fighting each other? We should be _friends,"_ says Adam, but the look on his face made it very clear that this was an empty promise.

"Who are you, _really?_" I ask.

He smirks, "You know who-" But he gets cut off when I put the tip of my sword to his throat. He's cornered against a tree, so he can't back up. "Roman. Okay? Now get away from me, you filthy Greek."

But I don't. I dig the sharp tip of my sword a little deeper into his throat, just for insulting me. Tommy's looking like he wants to bolt.

Katie's face is impassive, so I can't even guess what she's thinking. She walks up to me.

"Cool, we've got him cornered. What now?"

I shrug. "I dunno, really. This is usually about the time the cops show up and take away the bad guy in the movies."

Adam smirks. "No cops are gonna arest an innocent fifteen-year-old boy with a blade cut in his throat. In fact, I think it would be _you _being arrested, at least in real life, you know?"

I remove my sword from his jugular, and calmly stow it in my pack.

"You've got nerve. Now go." I say it like an order. He follows my order, and I say it calmly, as if there aren't millions of thoughts flowing throughout my brain. Roman? How can there be Romans? There're only Greek demigods. . . as far as I know. I turn to Katie. "You've got some explaining to do, young lady."

She simply rolls her eyes. "Tommy? What was that news?"

"Oh, uh, yes, of course," he steps closer toward us so we can here him better. "That was pretty much it. Beware foreign demigods seeking information from you concerning the whereabouts of Camp Half-Blood." He says all this proudly.

"Gotcha, okay. Sorta, actually. Okay, what? In English this time please? Though, if you could it in Greek, that would be excellent, too. . ." I am a little puzzled because Tommy spoke so quickly that I couldn't actually understand his words.

He repeats himself a little slower.

"Chiron said we can't give many details to those outside camp, due to the presence of, er, mortal folk. Everything should be explained when you return to camp for the summer."

"Oh. Okay," I say.

"See ya later, I've got, like, twenty more of these to do in the part of Eastern Seaboard," Tommy says.

"Oh. Well, see ya later then."

Katie's already back on the bench, absently waving her hand over the flowers to make them grow. I sit next to her, but I don't say anything. She spells out her name using small, yellow flowers, but then diminishes it.

"Sorry. About that," she mumbles. "I should've told you."

I shrug. "S'okay. But. . . how did he threaten you?"

She went on to softly explaining what he had said. He had told her he found her attracting (I clench my fists, aching to punch him, but he's already gone), and that he really liked her, and how she told him she already had me, but then he started asking about camp, all discreet-like, but still asking nonetheless. She got a little afraid ("only a little. I could _so _take this dude to the Underworld" she says), and started backing away, and he got closer, in a threatening sort of way. And then I came (I am thinking as she's says this: Travis comes to save the day once again!), and Adam backed off.

"So, I'm-I'm sorry. This was my fault." Katie looks so sad, I want to hug her. But that would make her uncomfortable, so I don't.

"Hey, it's not that bad. Nothing that bad happened. S'okay," I speak softly.

"Thankyou, Travis. Just... thanks." She looks away. "I almost hate being a demigod. D'you know what I mean?"

I nod. "Yep."

She gets up, packing a few of her unused books away.

"I'll walk you home."

She shakes her head. "No, I'll be fine."

"It wasn't a question. I'm coming with you."

And so we walk back down away from the park. Well, this was a failure idea. Not only was Adam almost completely unperturbed, Katie is all sad. It makes me sad.

We arrive at her doorstep a half-hour later, and my house is just a couple blocks away.

"Thankyou, Travis." Before she turns to open the door, she hesitates, then stands on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I touch the spot on my face she kissed me, and I begin walking home, very giddy.

Maybe the idea wasn't a failure after all.

**A/N: Okay! I finished this chapter! I'm so proud. It was a little awkward writing from the point of view of a boy, but I think I did alright. I'm so happy, despite the fact my thumb started bleeding halfway through the story because I was biting my nail to short. Mmm... the blood is still warm. . .*Sighs* Gross.**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Travis- My Idiot Brother

**A/N: Yay! Next Chappy (short for chapter!). My thumb has been wrapped in an adhesive bandage, so I'm good. And REMEMBER: Every time you read this, and like it, but DON'T REVIEW, I throw a crying fit and sob for hours on end.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own PJatO, all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

I wake violently to the sound of something falling down a flight of stairs, and I grin.

That must've been Connor, ah, _falling, _for my prank. I put a trip wire on the second step, he was probably _going down_ for breakfast.

But then I hear the high-pitched shriek; too high-pitched, even for Connor (he still hasn't exactly passed the whole "voice stage" of puberty). It must've been Mom.

I pretend to be asleep even as she stomps her way toward my bedroom door; even as I hear the coils in the doorknob twist; even as she steps into the room.

"Travis? I know very well that it was _you _who tried to kill me," her usual soft voice, suddenly piercing, the way it does when she's angry. "And I know your awake, too!" She saids, no longer piercing me with her words; she wriggles her finger in my stomach the way she used to do when I was a kid.

I laugh because it tickles. I think: I'm so glad no one is here to see me being tickled to death at the age of fifteen. That would just be so sad.

"Mom! Mom!" I manage to gasp in between the laughing fits.

She finally stops. "Alright. It's still dark out. It's only 5 o'clock. Go back to sleep." She leaves the room and shuts the door quietly behind her. See, my mom doesn't really get mad at me when I pull a prank for two reasons: one, she knows Connor and I are pranksters, and she knows there will be a few accidents in which case _she _will be the one that accidently gets hung upside-down by the ankles; she's pretty good about spotting tricks. And, two, she just really doesn't care anymore, she's been pranked so many times, they don't really affect her that way; she just laughs and gets on with it (but then again, Connor and I do know where to draw the line).

I stare at the clock, trying to make out the small numbers. I finally give up, and try to sleep. But then I realize I can't. I replay the events from yesterday. Nothing is clear. Foreign demigods? I never knew there could be demigods of a Roman heritage. . . or whatever. I can't even comprehend what Tommy the satyr said.

And then I think of the _other _incidentt that happened. Oh yes, I'm talking about Katie Gardner kissing me (on my cheek of course). To say goodbye. The thought makes me giddy, and I'm suddenly wide awake, entirely unable to fall asleep again.

By now, it's five-thirty, and I can see the faintest trace of light from a sunrise as I look out the window.

I dress so quickly, I don't realize I've put my shirt on backwards. I have no idea why I am in such a hurry; I haven't made any early pranking plans. What the heck? I guess I'm a bit disoriented this morning.

I'll reset the trip wire for Connor. Since I'm in a good mood, though, I won't do an _additional _spur-of-the-moment early-morning prank on him.

Once I've got my shirt on correctly, and I check that my jeans are right and my shoes are on the correct feet, I grab my backpack and jog down stairs, pausing briefly to hook the wire to the wall again, and then walk to the kitchen. I grab a banana, and I am sure to make a sandwich to share with Katie during lunch.

Peanut butter and jelly.

I decide I'll go early today. I'll walk to Katie's house, and see how she is.

I say bye to mom, and leave a note to Connor on the kitchen counter, then leave the house.

I walk the few blocks (that feel like miles) and am suddenly in front of Katie's house. I see her looking down at me from her window curiously. I grin at her. She mouths something.

"What?" I mouth back. She looks impatient, but she holds up a finger to signal me (one moment).

She leaves her window and after a minute or two, she's shutting the front door behind her, her backpack in hand.

"You're _way _early for the bus you know," she mutters. "It's seven o'clock."

"Really?" I ask. "I though it was earlier. I must've taken time resetting the trip wire for Connor."

She smiles. "So we're early. W-waddya w-wanna do?" She questions, yawning. I see there are bags under her eyes.

"You look tired," I comment. I stare at her; her hair is a little dishevled, she has dark rings under her eyes, and she yawns again.

"Yeah, well, I usually have more time to rest before school." Katie looks back at her house. "D'you wanna come in? I can make tea or coffee or something." She sways slightly. "If you want," she adds.

I nod. "I'd like that." The smile she gives me makes me feel warm despite the cold mist suspended in the air.

Katie leads me into her house, and gestures for me to sit in a chair.

"Are your folks home?" I ask.

She shakes her head, while pouring hot water into two mugs that have a light brown powder in them. "They're already at work." She stirs the two mugs, and then puts one on a napkin in front of me on the table. "Careful. It's really warm."

We sip our chocolate for a bit. When we both finish she takes our mugs and puts them in a sink.

"Let's go." She leads me out of her house, locking the front door behind her and we walk to the bus stop.

It's really not that far so we're there in about two minutes time. I like watching her fidget nervously with her fingers, like she's nervous. I don't even think she notices she's doing it. She wrings her hands, then fiddle with the zipper on her jacket. Now she's playing with her hair, but not in a flirty-girly way; she just takes the ends in her fingertips. It's kind of cute.

She notices me staring at her after five minutes, when the bus arrives.

We get on the bus, and I take the window seat. She looks mock-shocked.

"Hey," I shrug, "You had it yesterday." I pause. "It's only fair."

"And the chivalry wears off." She sounds like she's only teasing, but her face has the faintest trace of disappointment written on it.

"Why are you staring at me?" She asks quietly.

I turn to gaze at the window, only to see an old lady, who's looking directly at me, wink. She looks like she's a wealthy person, who can afford the super nice clothes, and her hair has carefully been done, as though by a professional hair-dresser or something.

"Travis?" Her voice is almost a whisper now in the midst of the loud racous of the school bus.

"Yeah?"

"Um. . . never mind." I say it gently.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOO

Throughout the day I drift in and out of daydreams, and once, I actually fall asleep. But then some rotten kid "drops" a textbook on the floor, resulting in a resounding "_SMACK!"_

Lunch comes, and I grab my peanutbutter-and-jelly sandwich.

I've just spotted Katie sitting alone at a table, when Connor intercepts me.

"Dude!" He says, as if I'm the one doing something wrong.

"What?" I look over his shoulder at Katie, but he puts up his hand, blocking my line of vision. "Wait, bro, why are you even here. Wait, _how _are you even here?! Dude?!"

"That's none of your business, is it? Anyway, dude, I am here because I am concerned about you." He waits. "You haven't pulled a prank in almost a week."

I protest. "I pulled that prank on you this morning, didn't I?"

Connor shakes his head. "No. Well, yes. But I meant a _good _prank."

He waits again.

"What about one on Katie? That would totally convince me that you are still a brother of mine, a son of Hermes." His words sting me. I'm the master of pranks, one of the best.

"You did _not _just go there." I grit my teeth.

"Sorry. I did. Just pull a prank on Katie, or I will."

I shake my head. "_No." _

"Fine, then." He smirks. "I've been wanting to do this for a long while, you know." He turns around, heading for Katie.

I see him tap her left shoulder, when she looks around, he swaps her water bottle, for a different one that looks the exact same; she doesn't see a thing pf what he is doing. I stay anchored to the spot. He wouldn't poison her.

Right?

No, he wouldn't. Connor may be an underhanded, scheming, slimy little weasel, but he wouldn't do that. Apart from poisoning that Huntress of Artemis, Phoebe. But that didn't kill her, did it? No, it didn't.

Connor leaves before she even sees him, and Katie takes a sip of her drink. One of the advantages of being a son of Hermes: Stealth like a ninja's (not that that's how I would normally explain it to a person), and Connor, being a son of Hermes, leaves undetected.

When I reach her table, Katie's all zoned-out. She stares vacantly; I wave my hand over her face.

"Katie? Katie-kat? Anyone home? Any Oracle in the attic?" I tap her shoulder, I put my arm around her, she doesn't do anything. I wave my sandwich around her nose, trying to see if any reaction would come. None did.

I rip off a piece of the sandwich, and place it on her napkin, then eat the other half. I'm gonna wait it out, to see if Katie's trance wears off.

Just as I finish the last of the PB and J sandwich, I hear Katie squeal, and I nearly jump off the seat.

"Katie?"

"Yes!" She shrieks with delight. She wraps her arms around me in a hug. "You're Travis."

"Yes, I am," I say in a flat voice. "What's wrong with you?" She smiles even bigger, making dimples on her cheeks.

"Nothing's wrong, silly!" She giggles in a very un-Katie-like way. "I'm happy!"

And then I think of what Connor did with her drink. I remember using something like this in the first year I arrived at camp, but then being banned from using it.

It was a sort of potion-like thing, usually brewed by the Aphrodite cabin, if you asked them nicely (translation: begged on your hands and knees, and then offered to all their chores for two months), and with some help from Hecate. It made the drinker instantly in love with the first person they saw. I was the first person she saw.

After the first portion of the symptoms of the potion (mild hallucinations, zone-outs), the drinker gets hug-y with the, uh, let's say _victim._ And then, the drinker gets all out of it, and doesn't want anything but to be with the victim, and. . . after that, it gets. . . uh. . . PG-14. It was really hard to cure, but after a week or two it usually wears off.

Usually.

Katie was now playing with my hair, twirling the brown curls in her fingers gently. She was looking at it like it was gold.

I throw out the last of our food, Katie follows me. I take her hand in mine, and drag her to our backpacks, and carry them both, because Katie is clinging to my hand.

On the first day of school, I scoured the school for ways out without anyone knowing I was ditching. You know, in case of emergencies.

There's a door that's never locked, because I guess someone is too lazy to get out their keys. I pray to Zeus that person didn't to finally decide to show some responsibility.

They didn't.

I drag Katie out the door, and up the street, home-ward.

Katie's giggling again. "We're doing something _against the rules!"_ She says this with unmistakable glee.

I try to tell her to shut up, but she doesn't listen to me. I finally get sick of the giggling, and clamp a hand over her mouth. She looks cross-eyed at the hand, and tries to burst into another fit of laughing, but can't get enough air.

Her face turns blue, and I let go, and she gasps for breath.

"Goodness, love! All you had to tell me was to be quiet!" But she laughs nonchalantly, as if she's not miffed in the slightest.

We reach my house, and I lead Katie inside.

She giggles again. "We are inside _your house!" _She whispers, and giggles again.

If the usually tough-as-nails Katie giggles like that one more time, I will lose my lunch.

"Who's there?" My mom comes out, carrying a baseball bat. She looks at me, and then the love-sick Katie, and let's the bat fall out of her hand. "What're you doing home? Nevermind, son, don't answer that. But have you brought a friend?"

Katie grins, but I sigh. "This is Katie. Connor-"

But Mom cuts my off. "So this is the famous Katie Gardner? I've heard a lot about you, you know. Travis talks so much about -"

"Mom! Yes, this is Katie. Connor pulled a nasty trick, and now Katie's all. . . girly, and in love and stuff."

My mom frowns. "Oh. Connor." She looks to the door as if looking for an escape. "You know, I think you should solve this problem with your brother. That'll increase your bonding skills. Yes. Do that." She grabs her purse off the table. "I'll be out. If you need me, ask your brother. Dinner's in the fridge. I'll call telling him where Katie is. Love you, honey." She says it all so fast, and she kisses me on my cheek (Katie frowns at this), and shuts the door before I can even protest.

"That did _not _help," I mutter.

Katie puts her hands behind my neck and presses her lips to mine. I kiss back, but it doesn't feel right. This isn't _Katie. _This is merely some love-sick wierdo inhabiting Katie's body. I pull away, and Katie stumbles on her feet. She was on tip-toe to kiss me.

She laughs. " Whoopsie daisy! I'm very clumsy, aren't I?"

_Whoopsie daisy?!_

"No, Katie! I mean, yes. No. What? I've confused myself."

"Don't be so confused," she murmurs. She presses her lips to mine again, but I pull away, pushing her off me.

"No, Katie! NO!" I shout.

She pouts her lower lip, but then smiles. "Don't be so silly!"

Katie comes closer. "No, Katie! NO! You aren't KATIE!"

She looks mildy puzzled for a moment, but then she forgets about her confusion, and reaches out to me again, but then pulls back. She looks confused again. And then not.

Katie takes me in her arms. "Don't go."

"This isn't _you._ This isn't _you, _Katie." I've always liked Katie. Even, like-like. But this _is not Katie_. If it was, I would kiss her, and I would let her kiss me.

"MOM! I'M HOME!" I hear Connor screaming as he enters the front door. "MO-! Oh, hi, Travis!" He greets nonchalantly.

"Don't 'hi, Travis' me! What did you do to Katie?!" I am furious. I could kill Connor. If he was trying to make me angry, if he was trying to get me back for everything I've ever done to him, it worked. I'm almost blinded by my anger, but Katie sees, and tries to hug me to calm me.

"Oh, please, Bro. You know what I did. But isn't this what you wanted? For Katie to be in love with you?! You've dropped everything! I wanted to stay at camp! If you wanted to come here, well then fine! You could've! And just for KATIE! But you could've at least let me stay, rather than drag me along to some crummy middle school with a bunch of stuck-up fools for students! I didn't need that! I DIDN'T WANT THAT! But as always, everyone must do what Travis wants them to do, especially when it's for Katie, don't they?" Connor's face is red, and I've never known him to be this resentful.

I'm almost shaking, I'm so chafed. "Well, then fine! GO! I wanted to spend this time with my brother, but he obviously doesn't want to spend time with me! SO FINE! GO! Just change Katie back." I'm red in the face, now, too, and I know it. I hate to admit this, but my eyes are watering. I turn away quickly, and wipe my eyes, before he can see.

"Fine," he mutters bitterly. "I'll go. How you change Katie back, give her some water and lemon juice with a tiny amount of nectar mixed in. It takes a few minutes, and it's only a sort of treatment; you still need to wait a few days until it wears off completely. But if you are staying here just for Katie, don't waste it."

He jogs up the stairs before I can answer.

I hurry to the kitchen and grab a glass of water; I go up to my room, and use the last of the nectar, and then to the backyard for a lemon. Our tree shriveled and died when I was young, so I usually just steal from my neighbor (shh!).

I pick out all the little seeds from the glass using a spoon.

"Here, Katie drink this," I approach her where she's in the living room sitting down on the couch.

"What is it?" She takes the glass and puts it to her mouth. She tastes it and looks confused for a moment, like it tastes weird. It most likely does; lemon doesn't taste good, but nectar does.

Katie drains the glass and puts it on the coffee table.

She turns to me again, and hugs me around my waist. She puts her lips to mine, and I try to pull away. Connor said I may have to wait a few minutes. But what if Katie wakes up, and she's making out with me? And she thinks I put that weird trance on her? She would hate me forever.

Now Katie's pulling away.

"Travis! What am I doing here? What am I kissing you for?" She sounds angry, just like I thought she would. She jumps up from the couch.

"No! Katie-Katie! Let me explain!"

She grabs her backpack from the table, and heads for the door. I grab her arm.

She turns, and screams "What! What?!" Her face is red, and I can tell she's on the verge of tears. She pulls her elbow away and strikes me across the face with her hand. Hard.

"Katie, I-" But she's already out the door and running away down the street. "It's not my fault. I'm sorry."


	7. Katie- Soup on the Carpet

**A/N: Next chapter. My fingers are numb, it is so cold.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own this all. JK! I do not. Rick Riordan owns the Percy Jackson series, and the characters and the plot and everything else.**

How could he do that to me? Is all I can think as a I run home from Travis's house.

I am furious. I didn't even realize what I was doing while I was doing it; I wasn't myself. I can't remember much of what happened, only that I acted like a love-sick fool, and I ditched my last few periods of school. I can't remember the conversations between Travis and Connor, and Travis and his mom. Just the tones of voice, and the fact that I had continually played with Travis's curly hair.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. Yes, I do.

Do I?

Yes. Well. . .

Yes.

When I get home, I slam the front door shut behind me, and slump to the floor. I recall something similar to what must've happened today. Something, from a few years ago. . .? The Stolls pulled some rotten prank on an Ares camper, and she got all girly and love-sick and foolish. They got punished for, like, six months with dish duty. Not to mention the full wrath of the Are cabin. I never saw that prank again, and Travis and Connor stayed on the down-low for the rest of the year.

I hear someone pulling their car into the drive-way. I don't really feel like seeing anybody, or talking to anybody. I feel like curling into a ball, and then crying until a die.

I go upstairs, planning to do just that, as Isabel enters the front door. "I'm home!" she announces and hangs her coat on the coat rack.

I lie down on my bed, unable to process my fury. Tears spring into my eyes, but I don't know why. I shouldn't be this upset. Well, maybe I should. This was an awful, cruel prank. Travis must've known I liked him, and was trying to make fun of me for it, just as he always makes fun of my choices.

I hear my step-mother scream downstairs and something clatter to the floor. She rushes upstairs, and pounds on my bedroom door.

"I think you have a friend that wants to talk to you, Katie!" She screams at the door, and continues running down the hall, and then slams the door to her and Dad's room.

I open the door, and go downstairs. There's a bowl on the floor with a ring of soup spilled on the carpet.

I crouch down beside it with a towel I brought from the kitchen. I get up and Connor is in front of me.

"Ahh!" I shriek. He startled me. Connor's in an Iris Message. "Connor?"

"Yeah," he looks impatiently behind him, as if he's doing something he isn't supposed to be doing. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you must be pretty peeved off at my brother. It wasn't him who put the Affection potion on you. It was me. I was angry with him, and pranked you to get to him. It wasn't his fault. Don't be mad at him. It was my fault." He says this all in one breath.

"What? Why would you do that? How the-"

"Sorry, Gardner. Gotta go. Travis's coming. Bye! See you later." Connor dissolves the connection with his hand.

I sit there on the floor next to the puddle of soup and the towel and the bowl. I just sit there, unable to speak or walk or get up or do anything.

Someone knocks on the door. I know it's not Dad, because I would've heard his car pull into the driveway. Travis couldn't be here. At least not that quickly because I caught a glimpse of him sneaking up behind Connor, hands out to strangle him.

I walk to the door, and turn the knob slowly. I open the door and standing there is. . . something. With two snake trunks for legs, and female humanoid from the waist up, and a very scary-looking sword, stands a _dracaenae _in the door frame. Before I even comprehend why there is a monster at my front door, it slashes at me. I duck before it can amputate my head.

I think: What can I use for a weapon? I can't just jog upstairs to get my dagger, can I? No. The bowl. It's ceramic, but a thin ceramic. If I can break it, I can maybe get a sharp piece. And that would at least give me some time to hold it off until. . .

Until what? Nobody knows I am trapped here with this thing. Nobody is going to come to the rescue.

The beast slashes at my shoulder, narrowly missing me. I almost shout with relief, but the monster slashes again, this time at my side, and it doesn't miss. I see warm, sticky blood seeping through the cut of my shirt, and fall to the ground.

The bowl is out of reach, and the idea seems ridiculous to me now. A broken bowl cannot protect me; a weapon has to be made of Celestial Bronze in order to be suitable for use by a demigod to send a monster to Tartarus.

Which means I am on the verge of death. I lay down on the carpet, eyes closed, helpless and hopeless, waiting for the strike to come, for the sudden burst of pain of a blade to my body. But it doesn't come. I hear the _WHOOSH! _Of a sword, and then a hissing screech, and then panting. I feel powder around my ankles.

Someone helps me up by my elbows, but I don't bother to look up to see who, because my entire side is throbbing in a sickening sort of rhythm. The person half-carries me to my bedroom. I feel like I am gonna pass out from the pain.

I slip in and out of consciousness, and one time when I come to, I see familiar blue eyes watching me, and then flit to the bandage around my waist, and then back to me. His eyes are red, like he's tired, or he's been crying.

He's holding my hand softly, as if afraid I'll scold him for doing so.

"D-did you. . ." It's hard to speak, my throat is tight with the crying I feel like doing. I'm throbbing everywhere. I mean to say "Did you find my ambrosia? Are you the one who saved me? Are you the one who cruelly pranked me earlier today?" But it comes out as a murmur, and I only get the first part out.

Travis hears me, and shakes his head. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't find any. I didn't want to leave you to get some from my house."

"S-s'okay. My-my bedside t-table," I croak.

He shakes his head again. "I already looked there."

"Underneath? Around?"

He ducks away from me and crouches on the floor, looking by the bedside table.

"Yes!"

"Y-you found it?"

He hands me a piece of the squashed up ambrosia, I take it in my hand and put it in my mouth. It tastes like fresh foods straight from the garden. Smothered with a little warm butter.

I instantly feel better. I mean, I still feel like I came back from the dead, but the pain is dulled now.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry. And then I couldn't find ambrosia or nectar 'cause you're hurt. And if-if you had died it would've been my fault," he whispers softly.

I shake my head feebly. "No. It wouldn't've been your fault."

Travis looks at me sadly, and then looks at his hands. "And-and the prank from earlier today-"

I shake my head again. "No. It wasn't yours. It was Connor's wasn't it?"

"How'd you know?"

"He Iris-Messaged me." Travis nods. "My-my side. Did you. . .?"

He nods, then looks away. "Your dad isn't home yet. Um. . . I should check on your cut."

I nod, and Travis gingerly unwraps the bandage from my waist. The wound is still there, but it isn't as bad as I know it was earlier. He touches it softly, and I wince. It doesn't hurt as bad as it should, but it startles me.

"Sorry," he says sincerely. His usual sarcastic smile is replaced with a worried frown as he re-wraps the injured side.

"D'you-d'you think I'll still have to go to school tomorrow?" I ask. I am curious.

He laughs, but the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I dunno." He face-palms hisself. "I forgot to call your dad!"

"Ask Isabel. I don't want to attract anymore monsters, please."

Travis nods, "of course."

I try to sit up, but Travis puts his hands on my shoulders and eases me down again. He shakes his head, and exits the room, heading for Isabel's room.

I hear him ask her nicely to call my dad, she argues and questions "why?", He tells her I'm injured. And she's all like "what?" And now he's getting impatient telling her to call my dad, and she reluctantly agrees.

I sit up now with little pain. I rub my eyes. Travis saved my life. Now I am in debt. To Travis. The one who usually pranks me, occasionally putting my life in that danger.

I push the blankets aside, and I notice I am still in my jeans and my shirt with the giant tear in the side, with blood stains.

I get up quickly, ignoring the sharp pains in my side, shut the door, and put on a different shirt. An orange one with faded words on it. My oldest-existing Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. I put on a pair of jeans, and leave my bedroom.

Travis is downstairs, pouring a glass of water. "Katie! You're not supposed to be up!" He rushes towards me.

"I feel fine," I say, and brush him off. "But thankyou. For-for everything." He hands me the water. It tastes. . . confusing. I recognize it as the drink he gave me to cure of my. . . Illness that Connor gave me.

"It's cool," he murmurs. And now the dreaded awkward silence comes, at least until I hear my dad's truck pull into the driveway. Travis helps me to a chair. "You have to take this a few times a day to keep you from going all. . . Anyway, it should wear off completely about two days from now. It's nectar, lemon, and water. -"

"Katherine Gardner!" My dad rushes to me from the front door and demands to know everything that happened today. I leave out the whole affection-potion thingie, but tell him everything about my being injured. He shakes his head. "Maybe. . . Maybe you'd be safer at camp. Perhaps we should send you back."

"No!" Travis and I protest in unison.

"Dad, I can't go back yet! I still have the rest of the school year! And I've only been here for a week! And we'd have to notify camp! But no! I can't go!"

My father shakes his head. "Fine. But one more monster attack, one more attack in general, on either of you, and Katie is going back. I am almost sure Travis's mother would feel the same way."

I mutter something along the lines of "there's not gonna be another monster attack," and I hear Travis doing the same.

"I'd-I'd better go," Travis says, getting up. "See you later, Katie. Take care." He sounds strangely formal.

"Later," I answer, as he leaves the house.

"Why don't you go to bed? It's been a long day," my father suggests, and I nod.

I go to my bedroom, and lay in bed, and fall asleep quickly.

I dream I'm in Olympus, in my mother's temple. The temple is a beautifully crafted structure, with flowers artfully placed everywhere, the colors creating an almost dizzying effect. Demeter's sitting by the altar, waiting. For me.

"Uh, hello, Mother," I bow my head out of respect.

"Hello, child," she greets. "A dracaenae attacked today, correct?" I nod. "It appears the boy, Adam, or Cockalorum, as I so often hear you call him, is an enemy of yours?" I nod again. "He's a bad crop, that one. Too little cereal," she smiles, and her eyes twinkle green.

"With all due respect, what does this have to with a monster attack?" I implore of her.

"It has everything to do with it! There is something bigger brewing about, something dangerous beyond measure, and the Romans are getting suspicious that there are Greek demigods out here, and they are correct, even though the Greek demigods are just a theory right now. However, some of the Romans are very aware of your existence, and are wanting to put a stop to it! They believe the Greeks were, evil, scheming, and sly, even though we both know Greeks were clever, and were not evil." Demeter paused. "Romans are usually honorable, however, some will go to extreme lengths to diminish enemies. As you know, some monsters aren't so bright, and can easily be manipulated, if the person manipulating them is smart. That dracaenae was sent by Adam."

She lets those words sink in for a bit while she plays with the flowers, changing her pansies to daffodils to roses, then back to pansies. She continues, "tomorrow, you must return to your school, you must show yourself as uninjured, and strong. Since the monster did not achieve its duties, and tomorrow you will look uninjured, Adam will try harder to hurt you, to force information out of you. Don't let him. Help will always come, accept it. And. . . don't forget your garden. Those gords aren't looking too good." She smiled, and glowed brighter, so I looked away before she could.

I promptly wake from the dream, and rub my eyes. There was a faint glow I could see streaming through my curtains. Morning light.


	8. Katie- Bad Day and It's Only Morning

**A/N: Happy New Year, forgot to tell y'all that! Anyways, here's the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. Sorry for the slow update. Review!**

**Disclaimer: All rights for PJO go to their rightful owner. To clarify, not me.**

I watch the dust in my room billow softly through the light streaming from my curtains, almost glittering. I stare at it, tilting my head to watch the gray dust swirl in the strip of sunshine.

It must be at least ten o'clock in the morning. I obviously won't be going to school today. My father would've come and got me. Isabel probably couldn't care less.

The dust slows but doesn't set entirely. The light is starting to brighten to a point where if I look at it for too long, it starts to hurt. Everything seems utterly bright today; too bright for my eyes.

I just lie here. I'm so worn out I can barely move. Everything is sort of surreal; like I'm not here, I'm just watching myself lie here. Like I'm in a sort of trance.

I remember what happened yesterday. Everything that happened yesterday, Travis and Connor and the _dracaenae. _My getting slashed in the side. The blood. The dream.

I should be freaking out, but no, I'm just watching the dust dance in the sunlight.

"Hello, Katie, dear," Isabel says softly, setting a tray of food on my bedside table. "You're up." She sits on the edge of my bed. "I have no idea what happened yesterday. I don't know. Please don't tell me."

Sweet, blissful ignorance.

"I promise," I croak. My throat is dry, and I reach for the glass as Isabel leaves my room. "Wait, I'm not going to school today, right?"

She shakes her head and looks at me uneasily, like she's not at all pleased I'll be here all day today. "I'll be at Cheryl's today, if you need anything." She's silently pleading me not to need anything.

Cheryl is Isabel's rotten friend; she cheats on her husband and gambles a lot. When I was little, she used to baby-sit me. She always used to forget my name and call me "Kitty" or "Kat" or "Kite" even. She offered to paint my nails, and when I said no, she painted her own with the foul-smelling red polish.

Isabel shuts the door behind her and I here her heals stomp down the stairs and out the door. Her car pulls out of the driveway, and I relax.

I lay under my covers, doing nothing. Not even thinking; it's peacefully boring. It's too boring.

Too boring.

What am I doing? I can't just do nothing!

I toss my covers off quickly and stand up. I am immediately hit with a wave of dizziness. I stumble. Obviously the soothing effects of ambrosia have worn off.

I bang my foot on the bedside table and fall back on my bed, clutching at my toes. When I hit the table the food tray jumped with the vibrations, causing the plain oatmeal to topple over the side and onto my bed sheets.

"Yeow!" It's hot and when it touches the skin on my hand it burns me a little. Great, so now I have a slightly burned hand and painful toes. Fantastic. Note my sarcasm, thank you.

"Katie?" a voice outside hollers.

"Travis?" I put down my feet and wipe off the oatmeal from my hand. I cross to the window. I see him standing below the window. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, 'course." Travis looked around him. "And I may or may not be running from the police."

I roll my eyes, but he can't see me. I wave him to the front door from my window. We can't have him being arrested on my front lawn, can we?

I walk downstairs, leaning on the wall for support. I whoop as my socks slip on the slick wood. I tumble down the stairs, and don't get up. I curl into a ball and stay still.

I here the front door open, and feel a pair of strong arms around me, urging me up.

"Have a nice trip. See you next fall." Travis grins at me, his blue, blue eyes twinkling. "I'm kidding."

"Hi." I try to smile but it turns into a grimace. "Hi." Travis is still holding my arms, but he clears his throat and puts his hands in his pants pockets.

"Hey." Awkward silence. Travis clears his throat again. "Did you do the lemon and nectar thing?" I shake my head. "Here." He pulls a waterbottle from his pocket. "I-uh. I brought some. In case."

"Thanks." I unscrew the cap and sip a little bit. I put the bottle down and go to the sink to rinse the remaining traces of oatmeal from my hands.

"Been a rough morning?" He asks.

"Oh yeah. I stubbed my foot on the table," I turn off the water. "I burned my hand on the oatmeal, and then got it all over my bed." I dry my hand with a towel. "Not to mention falling down the stairs." I toss the towel into the sink, not caring about it getting soaked in the water.

"Sheesh, Katie-Kat. It's only ten o'clock. Watch the mishaps."

I let out a weak laugh and roll my eyes. "You're supposed to be at school."

"What? You don't want me here?" He feigns hurt, but his eyes are laughing. "Called in sick for the day," Travis shrugs. "Turns out we both had a traumatizing encounter yesterday with a rogue komodo dragon. Did you hear? Apparently, by some miracle, we both survived the attack and are working on overcoming the emotional toll."

This time my laugh isn't forced, and it's melodious and happy. I'm surprised it came from me. Travis smiles at me, and for some reason I feel my insides melting into mush. How odd.

"Do. . ." Travis bites his lip, and stops himself. "Would you like to . . . hang out today, if you're feeling better, that is."

I do my best not to sound eager, but nod, not too vigorously. "That'd be cool, yes."

He looks oddly relieved, like he's just overcome some barrier he'd been trying to get rid of for a while. Travis looks away.

I finish the nectar/lemon/water/potion/whatever, and put it on the counter. The plastic crackles under my hand, and I wince at the sound.

I pick up the dish cloth from the sink and go upstairs. I'm more careful this time; I'd rather not repeat the slipping-falling-almost-crying thing again. It hurt my pride.

Travis, obviously unsure of what to do, follows me, leaving a few feet between us. I push open the door to my room.

I kneel by my bed and scrape off most of the oatmeal. It's cold now, not that it matters. I can't eat it. I wrap a plastic bag around the dish cloth, and throw it onto my bedside table. I roll my sheets and blankets into a ball and set them on the floor.

"I've gotta put these in the washer. I'll be right back," I mumble to Travis, who is looking at my dresser, looking at the pictures in frames on it. I stumble to the closet across the hall and to the left. I slip the sheets and blankets into the washer, and throw in some detergent. I press the button and the _whir whir whir _of the machine starts.

I shut the closet door, in the attempt of drowning out the irritating sounds.

After I grab some spare sheets, and I see Travis in my room, sitting in a chair, watching me. He looks vaguely amused.

"You have such a passive face when you aren't scolding me."

"Why, thank you." I toss the sheets onto my bed, too lazy to take the time to spread them out all nice a pretty. I don't do nice and pretty; not right after I just took an acute tumble down the hard wood stairs.

I still have the jeans and camp t-shirt I put on last night, after the incident.

I tell Travis to leave my room so I can change. He smirks, " oh. Is Katie-Kat scared I'll see her?"

"Shut up," I roll my eyes. "Leave. Close the door behind you."

"Oh! But, Katie-"

"OUT!"

He bows, and backs out of the room with his head lowered respectfully.

I huff, "thank you!"

I slip into a pair of different jeans; I have an abundance of jeans. I put on a dark green "Save the Earth or you go down with it!" T-shirt. I braid my hair back.

I open the door, where Travis is leaning his back against. He falls back and I narrowly avoid getting crushed under him.

"Ow." Travis rubs the back of his head as he gets up. "Thanks for the warning."

"I didn't know you were leaning on the door!" I barely manage this between my fits of suppressed laughter. "Though, if I had, I would have opened the door a lot faster."

"Gee, that's really good to know." Travis sticks his tongue out at me. "Have you eaten anything today?"

I shake my head. "Only what fell into my mouth when I dropped the bowl. So, no. I haven't."

"Cool. I know a place," he says, his voice mysterious.

"Where? Is it someplace I know?"

"I don't know. You may. It's unlikely. It's a more underground place. Not literally, but not majorly popular among the mortals." Travis winks, like he's sharing a joke. "C'mon. It's totally a safe place."

He steers me out of the room with an arm around my shoulders.

I stare back at the bedroom, but feel no desire whatsoever to go back to it right now.


	9. Katie- Down, Up, then Down Again

**A/N: Hi, there! I'm feeling rather perky today, I don't know why. I wanted to give some shout-outs:**

**BarrelRacer13  
Greenlem  
Chloemacefieldluvstratie  
Nanu Kitty  
MidnightParade**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim. All rights go to the rightful recipient Rick Riordan. I love alliteration.**

Travis looks both left and right before crossing the intersection. "If someone sees, and knows we're not old enough to be out of high school, they'll assume we're ditching," he explains, and nearly trips over the curb, but catches himself, and adds, "which, I suppose, we are, in a sense."

I roll my eyes, and follow closely behind him. "Can you _please _tell me where we're going?"

"I can. But I won't. Not yet."

I roll my eyes and continue, my feet getting a little sore. After about five minutes of walking, he stops at a place just off the business district.

It's a broken down building with a faded, lopsided sign that says: Billy's Warehouse. It looks abandoned, and I'm beginning to fear what Travis brought me here for.

Travis catches my expression and gasps, "no! No! Oh, gods, no. Try to see through the Mist. Focus. Really, really see."

I sigh, and do as he says. As I watch, something changes. It's so slight, I barely notice it. But it's so obvious, how could I not notice? In a matter of seconds, it's no longer Billy's Warehouse.

It's the Olympian Lounge.

"What-?" I breath.

Travis guides me through a door, and into a slightly dim room with round tables and chairs, some occupied with kids of different ages. Some our age, some twelve, or thirteen. Some are older, seventeen or eighteen or college-aged.

The walls are a teal color, with swirls of different colors every here and there. I note the swords and knives laid casually on the tables or in scabbards. It's like a crazy, crazy dream.

A brilliant dream.

"It's a 100% demigod hang out place. It's awesome, right?" Travis asks. "Hidden from mortals, and completely safe. Well, not really. But it's still awesome." He grins, and I grin back. I must look so goofy, being so happy.

"How-how have I never known about this?" I am so ecstatic, but still curious.

Travis shrugs. "I dunno, really. A few demigods do. It's mostly known on the inside. Mostly people who spend their days gossiping. I manage to stay connected. You, however, mostly have your head in the tulips during the summer."

I roll my eyes, and laugh. "Tulips are winter flowers."

Travis takes my hand and leads me to a table. A nymph drifts towards us.

"Two Diet Cokes, please," Travis tells her.

"I'm sorry. Dionysus, er, drank it. He's had a bad strike with Chiron back at camp playing pinochle. Diet Coke is his alternative for alcohol and stuff. Would Coca Cola be fine?"

We both nod, and she drifts away, tapping with her fingers with the beat of the music playing. It's melodious.

"It's cool, huh?" Travis sees me nod, and goes on. "Before I was a year-rounder at Camp Half-Blood, I was always here during the winter."

A group of giggling girls, presumably daughters of Aphrodite, came to our table.

"'Sup, Travis?" One with short, elegant blonde hair and thin eyebrows asks.

"How are ya, Trav?" Another, this one with pinkish-orangish hair and impossibly short shorts (especially when it's winter).

"How's it going, Traviekins?" This one wears over-the-top makeup, like she's ready to hit the runway.

The nicknames are enough to make me laugh and puke simultaneously. I try not to laugh, instead, I shove my knuckles to my mouth so I won't make a sound.

Travis turns scarlet and says, "Nothing much. I'm fine."

The girls giggle more, and shuffle away.

I release my hand and laugh. "Well, that, was. . ." I can't finish my sentence before I'm laughing again.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh now. But when they stampede you sometime, trying to get to me, you won't be laughing."

I raise my eyebrows, "Well, don't you have a high opinion of yourself. But I will still be laughing."

The nymph comes with two red cans of soda, and two glasses with ice. "Enjoy," she says.

We do. I pour half of the can into my glass, and drink in sips. A boy with black spiky hair comes up to Travis.

Travis stands.

"Hey, man, how've you been?" They do that weird guy hug thing where they grasp hands and chest bump.

"I been great, man! I haven't seen you in a while! How've you been?"

"I've been awesome. You look a lot older than when I last saw you! How long's it been? Two, three years?" The boy with the black hair asks.

"'Bout, yeah."

"Well, it's great to see you 'gain. Keep in touch 'right?" Travis nods, and the boy walks away.

Travis sits back down, and drinks a little of his Coca Cola. "I have no idea who that was," he admits, with a short chuckle.

I give a short, stiff laugh. We listen to the music for a few moments. I ask Travis what time it is, and he says it is one o'clock. We finish our sodas.

"What now?" I ask, tired of awkward silence.

"'S up to you," Travis replies with a shrug.

He leaves two drachma on the table, and he motions for me to take his hand. It's so corny I almost snort, but don't. I take his hand. It's warm and bigger than my hand, a little rougher too, but somehow soft. I have not a clue how that works.

This time, while we're walking, Travis doesn't look around. School is already out, so no worries. I don't know where we're going. All I am aware of is Travis's hand around mine. I mentally slap myself. I refuse to. I refuse to consider.

"I can take you home if you want," Travis mumbles.

I nod a slight "sure", but I'm not sure I want to go home. Home is dark and enclosed and . . . a little depressing. It's too quiet.

"Or not, if you don't want to," he adds.

"Do you remember when Adam stopped us at the park?" I blurt suddenly, unintentionally.

Travis looks at me, a single eyebrow raised. "Well, yeah, it was just a few days ago. What about it?"

"I have a bad feeling. I dunno. Maybe it's nothing. It's probably nothing."

Travis glances at me suspiciously, but he doesn't pry. I'll tell him eventually.

I clap a hand to my forehead. "My garden!" I suddenly remember my plants that I haven't cared for in a while. Only watering them. I need to be in a general proximity in order for them to blossom to their fullest potential.

How could I have been so neglectful? How could I have even thought for a _moment _I could put off my garden? It's like a switch has been flipped and I suddenly feel an intense sensation of shame and guilt.

"I'll take you home."

I feel very disappointed in myself. I've been so neglectful, and, because of that, I both have a garden of browning plants, and I have to go home.

Travis trips a little. _Are you okay? _I ask silently. He shrugs it off.

The day started bad, got better, and ended worse.


	10. Travis- Tea Roses

**A/N: Next Chapter. Yay! Review! I cannot stress that enough. **

**DISCLAIMER: All characters are not of my possession, save for the characters that are. ****All comments, jokes, asides, rubbish, cabbages etc are of my own making and in no way represent the making of original story nor author, nor any cat, dog, goldfish, insect, bacteria, mineral, etc, in their fictional existence.**

**Travis P.O.V.**

Katie's about ready to do a flying leap into her garden. She grabs a watering can, and fervently fills it, sprinkling water over, well, everywhere within the sidewalk. Bending down to keep various leaves dry, only watering the roots.

There's a tenderness in her eyes not many people see. They see Katie, mildly agressive, definitely temperamental, but not soft.

I stand here on the sidewalk, watching her. Just sort of, staring. I think about sitting down and watching her all afternoon, but shake the thought out of my head. That would _definitely _come across as creepy.

She puts the watering can down with a small _klunk _and gently rubs the large leaf of a flower bush I can't name. Almost instantly, the small buds blossom, the pale orange now an intense vermillion, and the overall view of the flower bush becomes prettier. She goes around to a trellis heavy with pale yellow roses; the tips of the petals of the roses are dark pink.

"Tea roses," Katie explains, and cups a particularly small, sad-looking tea rose in her hand. The rose brightens in color slightly, grows a few more petals, and it makes all the difference. The blossom is so beautiful. More beautiful than the other blossoms; it has a grace.

Like Katie. I remember overhearing some of the Aphrodite girls one summer, talking about Katie. They said rude things about her, saying she was ugly but that she would be mildly pretty if she at tried. I think those Aphrodite girls are the other flowers on the trellis, but Katie is the young graceful blossom.

I walk down the short path to the trellis and to Katie. I pick up a fallen rose. It's white, and small; an emblem of fragility. I cup Katie's chin with my fingers, brush a strand of hair from her face, and tuck the white rose behind her ear. It works in contrast with her brown hair. Katie's eyes are wide, startled.

I drop my hand, my face burning bright.

"I guess I'll see you later, then. Monday," I mumble, and shove my hands in my pockets. I turn to walk down the path, looking at my shoes, the flowers, the cracked sidewalk, anywhere but at Katie. My stomach is in knots.

I hear Katie take a few tentative steps behind me, but she stops.

"I'll see you. . ." She says, her voice soft and laced with an emotion I can't define.

I trudge down the walkway across the street and continue down the street. I walk past my house. I walk past the old lady with the chiffon scarf on her head and the smirk on her mouth. I hear the _clack _of her shoes on the sidewalk behind me. I don't turn around. I don't know where I'm going, I may just be going in circles.

"Young man," the old lady says in a pleasant, lightly accented voice.

I turn around, cautious, cautious. We've all had our experiences with hag ladies turning into batty demons.

As I watch, her irises shift in color, going from pink to red to orange to yellow to green to blue to purple and back again. My mind goes through descriptions of monsters. As far as I can remember, there are no monster-women with shifting eyes.

Then my mind clicks.

This is a monster of a different class.

And I take back what I said about her being a hag lady.

"Lady Aphrodite," I murmur respectfully, and bow my head.

She winks gracefully, her eyes rainbow-ing, "Call me Gertrude for now." She moves the end of her elegant scarf over her shoulder.

"Gertrude." I try to compute this in my mind: Aphrodite, old hag, Gertrude. Irony's a bird (for lack of better swear words).

"Very good, dear," she praises silkily. Her words wash over me and fill me with an unbelievably intense desire to please her, and to receive her praise. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"So. . . to what do I owe this honor?" I ask formally, not knowing what to say next.

"Aren't you sweet? I'm here to give you a bit of advice. Is that fine? Because, darling, you _desperately _need it." She waits for me to nod my assent, which I do, but only because she expects me to. I don't think I am _that _bad at talking to Katie.

"With all due respect, ah, Gertrude, I'd rather do this on my own."

Lady Aphrodite (Gertrude) looks affronted. "Well! If you don't want to hear what Katie thinks about you, I guess that's your choice." She shifts her scarf back over her shoulder haughtily, and begins to stroll away slowly.

I weigh my options: either I can anger Aphrodite by denying her and not hear a thing about Katie, or I can agree to hear her advice and risk her meddling. My choices aren't looking so good for me. Such is the pitiful life of an average half-blood.

Aphrodite senses my hesitation, and comes back and loops her arm through mine. "Help a poor old woman like myself-" I barely manage to hold in my snort "-feel joy again! Accept my advice and I promise not to intervene divinely." I know when she says this, she means she won't use her persuasion or whatever to get Katie to love me. That doesn't mean she can show up at school where Katie and I are and meddle that way.

"Don't intervene, period, exclamation mark, and maybe we can work something out."

Aphrodite huffs, "fine. I'll tell you what Katie feels about you and you'll take my advice."

"You'll tell me what Katie thinks about me and I'll _listen _to your advice."

Aphrodite pouts, her lip curled and her rainbow eyes twinkling. "That's the best offer I will get, isn't it?" She nods thoughtfully. "Alright. But not here."

"Where do you have in mind?" I question.

"It's a lovely day for a trip to the park, yes?"

Yay.

\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/ \\/\\/\\

We sit on a park bench. The park is unusually busy for an afternoon; usually parents take their young children to the park in the morning or around noon.

"So, where to begin?" Aphrodite exclaims in her silky voice. "Ah, yes. Katie. Katie conflicted and unsure of herself. She knows she likes you, possibly more than that, but she doesn't know if you feel the same way about her. Your abstract displpays of affection confuse her further, and shock her.

"The unfortunate incident including your brother, Connor, and the potion hurt her. In a teensy way, it showed that you may have feelings toward her; that is, if it had been you. It hurt her beyond belief when she thought it was you; she felt betrayed, she thought you were mocking her.

"No. She got over it, but not entirely. Everything has an impact, and nothing heals completely. And then today, when you tucked the flower behind her ear, that made her feel loved. The way you were protective of her when she was attacked by the dracaenae, well, if she wasn't in love with you before, she definitely is now. Lovely touch, by the way with the flowers." Aphrodite winks.

My head is spinning.

"Oh," I reply dumbly.

"Next time you come to a situation similar to today's with Katie, carry out your intentions. It would save both of you plenty of pain." Aphrodite looks at the entreating clouds. "I must leave you now."

She walks away, but turns around and tosses me a vial of slightly bubbling blue goop. "You'll need it. And you'll know when to use it."

Aphrodite turns back around, walks a few steps, and then her image blurs and shimmers like a mirage, and I avert my eyes.

My head feels like it's bursting with information.

**A/N: Rather short chapter, but extremely fluffy. I hope it was satisfactory. PLEASE REVIEW!**


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